About three-quarters of the population feel anxious and hopeless about their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll. Bangkok Post

73% of Thais feel 'hopeless' during pandemic - poll

A Foodpanda delivery driver waits to collect an order from a food stall in a mall in Bangkok on May 4, 2021. (AFP file photo)

About three-quarters of the population feel anxious and hopeless about their lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the result of an opinion survey by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll.

The poll was conducted online on 1,713 people throughout the country during May 24-27 to gauge the population's mental state in the "Covid-19 era".

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one answer to each question.

Regarding their state of mind, 75.35% said they were under stress and worried; 72.95% felt hopeless; 58.27% felt irritated; 45.19% frightened; and 13.50% were in a normal mental condition.

Asked about the causes, 88.33% cited the worsened Covid-19 pandemic; 74.53% pointed to the economic slump; 51.89% cited concerns over vaccination; 36.50% mentioned travel and traffic conditions; and 15.98% cited health concerns.

Asked what they wanted the government, state agencies and the private sectors to do to alleviate the crisis, 74.96% said mass inoculation should be expedited; 60.52% wanted all concerned to step up efforts to solve economic problems; 56.51% wanted them to give people clear, unambiguous information about Covid-19; 54.86% wanted assistance to those affected to be evenly distributed; and 49.91% wanted Covid tests to be carried out in all areas.

😡😡😡😡😡😡 Jag har sagt det tidigare och jag säger det återigen !! ATT DET SKA VARA SÅ FÖRBA.......SVÅRT ATT FÖRSTÅ 😡😡😡😡😡😡😡. Dozens arrested, dispersed on Bangsaen beach early this morning for allegedly breaking Covid-19 rules, drinking alcohol, and mingling Sunday, 30 May 2021, 9:35. Pattaya News



Bangsaen Beach, Saensuk, Chonburi-

Saensuk police, along with Chonburi provincial police, led an inspection early this morning on Bangsaen Beach, following multiple warnings over the past two weeks to people to stop gathering in the area, especially to drink alcohol and socialize.

Due to Covid-19 measures, beaches are currently only open for exercise officially. Any size gathering that is for socializing or mingling, especially for a party or around alcohol, is strictly prohibited. Violaters can face strict fines under emergency decree and communicable control act laws for Covid-19 that have stiff fines of up to 100,000 baht and/or up to two years in jail.

The inspection was led by Pol. Col. Surasit Nuengjamnong, commander of the Saensuk police at 2:30 A.M. this morning, May 30th, 2021, on Bangsaen Beach.

The police team first dispersed groups of about twenty to thirty youth skateboarding, including young children, out at almost 3:00 A.M., warning them that although the beach was open for exercise that the group was large and not just exercising but also socializing. The group was given a soft warning to go home for the night and obeyed the order.

Police then toured the beach area and arrested over twenty people, mostly teenagers, for various violations including drinking alcohol underage and violating Covid-19 rules against gatherings for social purposes.

Those arrested will face strict previously mentioned emergency decree and communicable disease act legal charges. The parents of those who are juveniles would also be contacted.

Surasit warned that inspections of the area would continue and encouraged people to stay home with members of their own household due to the current Covid-19 situation. 

TPN media notes that although some beaches, like Pattaya Beach, are strict and prohibit people from stepping into the sand, swimming, or interacting in small groups others, like Bangsaen, have more relaxed rules. The mayor of Saensuk has previously warned, however, this light touch would end if people kept breaking the rules.



Bangkok revealed as the 19th most AMBITIOUS entrepreneurial city in the world according to recent independent study. Bangkok Post / Doja



The following is a press release by Doja. Their thoughts and statements are their own.

Bangkok revealed as the 19th most AMBITIOUS entrepreneurial city in the world! 

A brand new study by Dojo has revealed which cities in the world are the most ambitious when it comes to starting their own business!

Many of us aspire for success, but does where we live have anything to do with our business ambitions?

Card machine provider Dojo has created a worldwide index of the most business ambitious cities, using 5 fundamental factors which contribute to entrepreneurial ambition:

 – Number of new businesses registered
⚖️ – Cost of a business start-up as a % of GNI per capita
 – Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita
 – Percent of the population with access to education
  – Google search volumes for starting a new business queries

Bangkok is the 19th most business ambitious city in the world!

Thailand's capital, Bangkok, is named the 19th most ambitious city in the world, with a population of over 10.7 million and an ambition index score of 286 out of 500.

Over 55,589 new businesses registered in the city over a year proving Bangkok is an ideal choice for savvy entrepreneurs.

The city also had over 800 Google searches for "how to start a new business" in the city and a 25% increase in searches for "how to fund a new business" since 2019.

RANKED: The 20 most ambitious entrepreneurial cities in the world:

Ranking	City	Country	City Population	Ambition Score
1	London	United Kingdom	9,425,622	481
2	Sydney	Australia	4,991,654	402
3	Cape Town	South Africa	4,709,990	384
4	New York	United States	8,601,186	379
5	Paris	France	11,078,546	366
6	Singapore	Singapore	5,991,801	366
7	Ottawa	Canada	1,407,928	354
8	Rome	Italy	4,278,350	342
9	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	8,210,745	338
10	Moscow	Russia	12,593,252	337
11	Madrid	Spain	6,668,865	334
12	New Delhi	India	31,181,376	331
13	Kiev	Ukraine	3,000,604	331
14	Riyadh	Saudi Arabia	7,387,817	328
15	Jakarta	Indonesia	10,915,364	327
16	Lisbon	Portugal	2,971,587	318
17	Ankara	Turkey	5,215,747	315
18	Berlin	Germany	3,566,791	314
19	Bangkok	Thailand	10,722,815	286
20	Budapest	Hungary	1,771,865	282

London is the most ambitious city in the world for those looking to open a business

London took the crown as the most ambitious city in the world for those looking to start a business. With over 664,974 new businesses registered in the city and over 4,400 Google searches for "how to start a new business" – it's no surprise that the UK capital came out top, scoring 481 out of 500 in the index.

With a population of over 9.4 million, the UK capital is a melting pot of cultures, creativity, and access to infrastructure – a winning formula for ambitious entrepreneurs.

Sydney is the second most business ambitious city in the world!

Sydney came second with an index score of 402 out of 500. New businesses have been thriving in Sydney, with 235,654 new businesses registered there – proving that ambitions show no sign of slowing in 'The Emerald City.

Over the past 12 months, there was also a 52% increase in searches for "how to start a new business" amongst Sydney's occupants and a 100% increase in those searching for "how to fund a new business".

Cape Town is the third top city for ambitious entrepreneurs

South Africa's port city of Cape Town came third, scoring 384 out of 500. With a population of 4.7 million, the city is home to many of Africa's most innovative designers and artists – creativity flourishes amongst the natural beauty of the city.

That, paired with incredibly low costs for those looking to open up a new business could be why 376,727 new businesses opened up in the city in 2018.

Annual competitions in the city such as the FNB Enablis Business Plan initiative also provides over R10 million (£501.3K) to start-ups every year. A lot of support is given to SMEs in the city as they employ around 70%-80% of the working population in Cape Town.

For the full index of business ambitious cities, please visit here.

About Dojo

Dojo is a UK-based card payment provider under the Paymentsense brand. They specialize in helping independent small and medium businesses take secure, reliable, and fast card payments with cutting-edge contactless card machines with next-working-day transfers.

Methodology

To discover which cities are the most ambitious to create their own business we looked at Google Search volumes for related searched terms over the past 12 months, new businesses registered, cost to start up a new business, and % of the population with access to education.

All images provided by Doja

Chonburi readies some 40 vaccination centers. Thai Visa / NNT



 

CHONBURI (NNT) - Chonburi Province is preparing to open some 40 vaccination centers, in the hope of achieving herd immunity and restarting tourism businesses.

 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Public Health Satit Pitutacha, has inspected a vaccination center at the Thailand National Sports University's Chonburi Campus.

 

The vaccination center is located at a field hospital inside the campus, and will join some 40 vaccination centers, both in and outside of hospitals, to provide COVID-19 jabs to Chonburi residents in the vaccination drive.

 

Chonburi's largest vaccination center at Pattaya's indoor stadium can vaccinate up to 5,000 people a day at full capacity, while the second largest venue at Muang Ban Suan Municipality's community hall can give as many as 3,000 jabs a day.

 

Chonburi province is hoping to vaccinate as many people as possible in order to achieve herd immunity, which is crucial to the restart of local tourism businesses. The eastern seaside province has so far administered 110,528 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to local people.

 

Chonburi announces 90 new cases of Covid-19 this morning Sunday, 30 May 2021, 8:26. Pattaya News



Chonburi –

The Chonburi Department of Public Health announced 90 new and confirmed cases of Covid-19 today, May 30^th , with one new death mostly driven by clusters at factories and migrant worker camps.

This makes a total of 4,607 cases of Covid-19 in the current round of infections, with 974 still in medical care, and with a total of 25 recorded deaths in Chonburi since the start of this recent round of infections in early April. One additional death was announced this morning although details were not released.

Additionally, 3,608 people in total have now been released from medical care and fully recovered since this current wave began. 44 people were released yesterday.

The district-level new cases were as follows today:

Mueang Chonburi with 21, Si Racha 32, Banglamung (including Pattaya) 6, Phanat Nikhom 2, Sattahip 6, Pan Thong 23, and Ko Chan with 1.

The details on today's cases given were:

• Cluster at markets in Si Racha 23 cases
• A cluster at the Celeres company factory in Mueang Chonburi with 8 cases (second check of all staff previously negative who were quarantined)
• Contact from Okumura metal factory, 16 cases (second check of all staff who were previously negative)

• Contacts from previous confirmed cases:

• In families, 12 cases
• In workplaces, 8 cases

5. Close contact under investigation, 11 cases
6. Being investigated, 12 cases

In the last day, a total of 45 close contacts were tested from contact tracing, and 338 people were tested in proactive testing when medical staff goes out into the community. All are pending results. As stated in the case details officials also retested hundreds of people at industrial estates in Mueang Chonburi that have been the sites of recent clusters. 

Public health officials continue to urge people to not socialize outside of their direct household until the situation improves. Most cases have come from small social gatherings according to authorities.Chonburi has significantly stepped up testing at industrial estates and their worker dormitories as well as workplaces in the province, which is a major reason cases have been higher recently.

The good news is today there were no timelines whatsoever, which shows that nearly all of the current cases are mostly migrant workers who live and work on industrial estates and markets with little to no social movement outside of work and their home. Staff at these venues, regardless if having tested negative for Covid-19, remain in sealed quarantine for at least fourteen days out of an abundance of caution. 

NÅGON SPEKULANT ?? Chon Buri zoo to sell herd of elephants. Bangkok Post



Chon Buri zoo to sell herd of elephants

CHON BURI: The Sriracha Tiger Zoo has announced its intention to sell a herd of 11 elephants after being hard hit by waning tourism in the wake of Covid-19.

On its Facebook page, the zoo posted the announcement along with photos of the elephants.

"Let's share [this post], support us and help us find a new home for our animals. #Sriracha Tiger Zoo# is looking for elephant buyers so we can heal our wounds from Covid-19. It's necessary for us to sell our animals even though we love them so much. Despite our love and sorrow, we have to be apart.''

On sale is a herd of 11 trained elephants, both young and fully grown. Their mahouts are also part of the package. Interested parties can make contact by sending the zoo a message on Facebook.

A source at the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation said elephants were protected animals under the Wildlife Conservation and Protection Act. As such, they cannot be sold, except between zoos or for research purposes. A permit is also required for their breeding, Thai PBS reported.

The source added the open market sale of elephants is illegal, although zoos did legally possess the animals. The owner of a zoo seeking to shut down the business must transfer protected animals to other zoos within a year, or the department would inherit the right to seize them.

Earlier this month, the owner of Sriracha Tiger Zoo denied reports that it would close its doors for good after 24 years of service.

Rumours had spread that the privately run zoo, best known for its collection of Bengal tigers, was to close permanently closing due to the financial crunch brought on by the pandemic.

On its website, the zoo said it had closed to visitors from April 30. But Sumeth Panyasakhon, managing director of Sriracha Crocodile Farm Co, said the zoo was merely closing for 14 days as part of efforts to curb the spread of the Covid-19 after the province was made a maximum control zone.

Elephants have been among the animals most affected by the pandemic-induced slump in tourism.

In February, Pimporn Hemmarat, the owner of elephants which had chiefly earned their keep in the tourism sector in Trang, announced she had put all 21 up for sale at 1.5 million baht each, Channel 7 reported.

ASEAN Covid19 situation as of May 29th.

 

Bangkok Post highlights 30/5

 

🔴 BREAKING: 24 deaths and 4,528 cases (* 1,902 from prisons) on Sunday. Full update at 12:30pm. Richard Barrow

 



EAST province Covid19 cases May 29th. NBT

 

Thai Flag of Nation passes through Chonburi on Road to Tokyo Olympics Pattaya MailMay 29, 2021. Pattaya Mail



Chonburi Governor Pakarathorn Thienchai holds the flag up high as he gets ready to lead his team on the Flag of Nation run.

The Tokyo Olympics was scheduled to be held in 2020, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic was postponed and is now scheduled to be held from 23 July – 8 August 2021.

The traditional Olympic flame lighting ceremony was held near the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, on March 12, 2020, reaffirming the connection between the modern Games and their historic origins, after which it was transported to Athens and flown to Fukushima, Japan, from where it was scheduled to be carried by runners to Tokyo's New National Stadium, the main venue of the 2020 Olympics.



Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the planned relay leg through Greece was cancelled, and both the lighting ceremony in Olympia and the handover ceremony in Athens had no public attendance. The relay was suspended on 25 March 2020, a day before the Japanese relay was due to start, and the torch was moved to Tokyo for exhibition until the relay resumed as planned on 25 March 2021.

Government officials, led by Chonburi Governor Pakarathorn Thienchai, run from Government House to Phraphutthasihing Dhamma Hall.

Meanwhile in Thailand, plans went ahead to conduct the Flag of Nation run through 35 provinces over a distance of 4,606 kilometres in 61 days.

Commencing on March 27, a total of 4,568 athletes, celebrities and selected members of the public were assigned to carry the flag from the National Stadium in Bangkok to finish at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, where the Thai Olympic contingent would escort it on a flight to Tokyo scheduled for 27 May.

Chonburi province was one of the last stops of the flag's journey through Thailand where Governor Pakarathorn Thienchai presided over a grand ceremony at the provincial hall to welcome and wish it and the Thai Olympic athletes safe travels and success at the world games.

Together with a team of government officials, he ran with the flag to Phraphutthasihing Dhamma Hall where it was placed on a decorated truck to be transported onwards to Chachoengsao Province and on to Suvarnabhumi International Airport for the flight to Tokyo.

At the Phraphutthasihing Dhamma Hall, Governor Pakarathorn places the flag on a specially appointed pickup truck for the last legs of its travel to Suvarnabhumi Airport.